Cetacean translation

摘要

From Helena Telkaenranta Using a cryptographic approach to crack foreign languages is a nice, fresh approach to machine translation (18 June, p 23). It might also offer intriguing possibilities for decoding another form of communication. Researchers working with bottlenose and spotted dolphins have identified some elements of their "language", such as their signature whistles. In addition, their echolocation sounds are recognised. However, most of the potential meaning of the chirping and buzzing they make remains elusive. Is it possible that dolphins could communicate with one another about a specific object by producing a set of sounds corresponding to an "echolocation picture"? It would be interesting to know if the deciphering software could look for similarities between patterns of acoustic signals that dolphins produce in social situations, and their patterns of echolocation reflecting from objects of interest in their environment.